Game Reports

It was my privilege last weekend to join a group of fellow wargamers to help bring a terminally ill friends wish to fruition.

Peter has spent the last five years amassing eighteen thousand Union and Confederate troops. At last, on a massive table he got the opportunity to display them in action.

The troops are organised as per the original regiments, brigades, divisions, Corps and the rules employed were Regimental Fire and Fury.

The scenario was as follows.

Vicksburg has fallen in May ,Grant has become Commander in chief of all Union forces .

Lee is massing his ANV on one of the major river depots ready to launch his northern invasion. However, with Vicksburg falling and Johnson being pressured in the West by Sherman, Lee has despatched 2nd Army Corp to halt Sherman's lightning campaign towards Atlanta before it is to late.

Grant has intelligence that this has happened and although newly in command in the East, believes that he can attack Lee with 1/2/3 and half of 5th Corp and beat him or cause severe disruption .

Grant has had some Western troops trained to take part in an amphibious assault and has assembled a small flotilla to this purpose.

The battle.

The Union attacked the very heavily defended port/depot head with ironclad and siege gun support. Despite knocking out some significant gun positions the Western troops suffered badly, losing one brigade en route as the fleet was sunk. The other brigade having landed was repulsed by a strong Confederate defence.

The Confederate Army responded to the Union attack by attacking and we all had a great two days of action.

Whilst the Union right flank and port attack was fought to a stand still, in the centre the Federals were winning and looked like splitting the Confederate forces in two.

The troops on the Union left were losing and it looked like Longstreet's Corps would eventually turn the Union flank. However, events had run their course and it was time to pack everything up.

Conclusion.

We all had a super time fighting our war game in the 'Grand Manner' with some 18,000 28mm figures ,speciality artillery ,ships, trains and all the other support kit that makes an Army .

Many thanks to Peter for allowing us to 'play' with his lovely collection and organising the venue. Special thanks also to all the friendly, lovely people who made me welcome and helped make the weekend the success that it was.

I wish I could have joined you gentlemen during that weekend.OMG! What a magnificent long battlefield.

Are you one of the persons in the pictures?You met Peter in Waterloo only 18 months ago: are you living close to each other in the UK or did you travel far to engage?And most important: was he fit enough to join the game?